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overhead picture of mac and cheese with a wood spoon

Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese is full of tender macaroni, a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and a buttery cracker topping!
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Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni cooked al dente
  • 11 tbsp unsalted butter softened, divided
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups half and half
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Lawry’s seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 cups Monterey jack cheese shredded
  • 2 cups gruyere cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Ritz crackers crushed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray.
  • In a large saucepan, melt butter (1 stick) over low heat to medium heat. Once melted, add in flour and mix until thick. 
  • Pour in milk and half and half. Whisk until combined and smooth. Sprinkle in seasonings, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. and mix.
  • Once mixture comes to a boil, start adding cheese in little bits, melting cheese each time. After cheese is combined, stir until smooth. 
  • Pour half the cheese sauce into casserole dish. Cover with cooked pasta. Top with remaining sauce.
  • In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of butter and Ritz crackers. Layer over the top of mac and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

    • Grate your own cheese for better melting. Pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating that makes it grainy.
    • Add a teaspoon salt to your pasta water to season the noodles.
    • For al dente pasta, cook your pasta in salted water for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions suggest.
    • For a little extra kick, try throwing some cayenne pepper or mustard powder into your mac and cheese.
    • When adding in cheese, use a measuring cup to make sure you’re not adding more than one cup at a time. This will give you the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 847mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1072IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 606mg | Iron: 1mg